Hugo Sanchez always had a big ego. When he finally was given the job of Mexico national team coach -- a job he had coveted for years -- he promised he wouldn't disappoint, boasting that Mexico would win the Gold Cup and earn an Olympic medal.

Well, Mexico lost to the USA, 2-1, in last year's Gold Cup final and won't be going to Beijing Olympics.

Following the U-23 Tri's shock third-place finish, behind Guatemala and Canada, in the group stage of Concacaf qualifying, the Mexican press hammered Sanchez.

"Fuera" ("Out of here") was the headline in Mexico City daily Reforma next to a photo of Sanchez on the front page of its sports section.

In a front-page editorial, the sports daily Record demanded, "Hugo, have some dignity and quit. Don't bring on any more shame."

Sanchez signed a four-year contract to serve as national team coach through the 2010 World Cup. Now it looks like Sanchez won't even survive until the first qualifying fame in June.

If he doesn't -- Mexican club owners who run the Mexican soccer federation will meet March 31 to decide Sanchez's fate -- it will be business as usual.

In the last four World Cup cycles, the only time the coach that started the cycle lasted until the World Cup finals was in 2002-06 when Ricardo Lavolpe -- Sanchez's archenemy -- took the Tri to the round of 16 in Germany.